How Did We Get Here?

Maybe we got to this place because the government has a long history of telling us it will implement a small program with a reasonable sounding purpose. Then when the program is in place the government rapidly expands the program beyond its original plan.

Consider the following examples of other programs which started out small and exceeded their proposed design:

When the TSA first got their highly controversial body scanners they relieved protests by promising people that they could opt out of the body scanner and be searched by the metal detecting wand which was already in use. The people bought this explanation, silenced their protests, and within the year the metal detecting wands were replaced by the even more controversial full body pat down.

When the income tax was first proposed the government gained support by promising it would only apply to the richest 4% of the population with a top tax rate of 7%. The people bought this explanation and now income taxes are significantly higher and encompass the majority of the population.

When the police first got tasers they told us they would only be used as an alternative to lethal force in situations where they would ordinarily shoot someone. The people accepted this explanation and now tasers are used as pain inducing compliance tools where handcuffed, unresponsive people have been tased 28 times.

The NSA told us that they were only going to spy on terrorists and their affiliates. The people bought this lie and later discovered that the NSA was illegally using their tools to spy on all citizens.

When police SWAT teams were first introduced, police departments told us that they would only be used in the most exigent circumstances like during hostage situations. The people bought this explanation and now SWAT teams are used 40,000 times a year in home raids.

So what will these “comprehensive background checks” eventually become? The problem is that people cannot know what they will become. All they know is that it is completely possible for them to become something else. To answer your question, we got here because the government has lied enough times to completely lose all credibility and people are finally realizing that the government takes miles by beginning with a lie about only wanting an inch.